MLB Wild Card Game 2: Yankees and White Sox Sweep Into the Division Series
Two series ended on Wednesday and two did not. New York finished Boston off 9-2 behind Max Fried and a six-run sixth; Chicago completed a sweep of Houston 7-3; and Philadelphia kept its season alive with a ten-inning win in Atlanta.
Wild card Game 2: quick answers
- Which series finished? Two: the Yankees swept Boston, the White Sox swept Houston.
- Who do they play next? New York travel to Tampa Bay; Chicago travel to Cleveland.
- Which series are still alive? Braves-Phillies is level at 1-1 and goes to a Game 3 on Thursday.
- What did the Red Sox hit? Seven for sixty across the series — a .117 average.
- When do the division series start? Saturday 3 October.
Key takeaways
- Two series are over: the Yankees swept Boston 9-0 and 9-2, and the White Sox swept Houston 6-3 and 7-3. Both go to the division series, which starts on Saturday 3 October.
- Boston scored twice in two games. The series line was 7 for 60 — a .117 average — with 18 strikeouts and an 18-2 scoreline.
- Philadelphia kept its season alive with a ten-inning win at Truist Park, so the Braves-Phillies series is level at 1-1 and goes to a deciding game.
- Our own picks are 1-for-1 with two still live: we had Houston advancing, and Houston are out.
- New York travel to Tampa Bay as the 4-versus-5 winner; Chicago travel to Cleveland as the 3-versus-6 winner.
Every Game 2 result
| Series | Result | What it meant |
|---|---|---|
| AL · 4 v 5 | Yankees 9, Red Sox 2 | New York sweep 2-0 and advance to face Tampa Bay. |
| AL · 3 v 6 | White Sox 7, Astros 3 | Chicago sweep 2-0 and advance to face Cleveland. |
| NL · 3 v 6 | Phillies 4, Braves 3 (10 inn) | Series level at 1-1; Game 3 in Atlanta on Thursday. |
| NL · 4 v 5 | Padres led 4-1 late | Chicago needed a comeback to force a Game 3. |
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What happened, series by series
New York 9, Boston 2: a six-run sixth, and a sweep
Max Fried gave the Yankees six innings of three-hit ball, his first postseason win since he closed out the 2021 World Series with Atlanta, and New York took the series without ever trailing it. Luis García Jr. — a trade-deadline arrival — homered in the fourth in his first postseason start, and Cody Bellinger drove in four, including a three-run shot that capped a six-run sixth. That inning was the strangest of the round: Spencer Jones struck out but reached on a wild pitch after a video review overturned the call at first, stole second, took third on a throwing error, and three straight singles followed before Bellinger's homer off Garrett Crochet, who had not pitched since 25 April because of shoulder inflammation and was charged with four runs.
What the Red Sox finish with is a .117 average
Boston scored twice in two games and were outscored 18-2. The series line reads 7 for 60 with 18 strikeouts — and the only run of Game 2 was Willson Contreras' solo homer, which ended a streak of 26 postseason innings without a run dating back to last year's wild card series. It is a brutal ending to a season that started 32-46 and was rescued by a 32-5 stretch from 25 June to 7 August that included a 15-game winning streak. Boston have now been eliminated by the Yankees in the first round two years running.
Chicago 7, Houston 3: two 100-loss seasons ago, now into the ALDS
The White Sox finished their sweep in Houston and will play Cleveland in the division series. Houston won the West at 81-81 and are out in two games. For a club that lost 100 games in consecutive seasons, this is the part of the season nobody expected to reach — and they got there on the road.
Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 3 (10 innings): the series nobody has closed
Atlanta led the series 1-0 and had the better of Game 1. Philadelphia took Game 2 in ten innings to level it, which means the only thing separating these two is Thursday afternoon at Truist Park. It is the third time in five years these clubs have met in the postseason.
San Diego were the other side that could not close it in nine
The Padres won Game 1 8-0 behind Michael King's one-hit start and led Game 2 4-1 going into the ninth, with Chicago needing a rally to force a deciding game in San Diego. A Padres win would send them to the division series against Milwaukee.
Our wild-card picks, two games in
We picked Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Houston to advance. One of those four clubs has been eliminated, one has advanced, and two are going to a third game. That is an honest 1-for-1 with two live.
| Team | What we said | How it went | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yankees | Picked to advance | Won the series 2-0 | Correct |
| Astros | Picked to advance | Lost the series 0-2 | Wrong |
| Braves | Picked to advance | Series level 1-1 | Game 3 decides it |
| Cubs | Picked to advance | Lost Game 1, behind in Game 2 | Need a comeback and a Game 3 |
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The division series match-ups
| Round | Match-up | How it was set |
|---|---|---|
| ALDS | White Sox at Guardians | 3v6 winner plays the No. 2 seed · from Saturday 3 October |
| ALDS | Yankees at Rays | 4v5 winner plays the No. 1 seed · from Saturday 3 October |
| NLDS | Braves or Phillies at Dodgers | 3v6 winner plays the No. 2 seed · from Saturday 3 October |
| NLDS | Padres or Cubs at Brewers | 4v5 winner plays the No. 1 seed · from Saturday 3 October |
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How to watch Game 3
| Game | First pitch | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Phillies at Braves — Game 3 | 2:00 p.m. ET, Thursday 1 October | NBC / Peacock |
| Cubs at Padres — Game 3 (if needed) | 8:00 p.m. ET, Thursday 1 October | NBC / Peacock |
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Game 2 by the numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Series decided | 2 of 4 |
| Games won by the road team | 2 (White Sox in Houston, Phillies in Atlanta) |
| Red Sox series average | .117 (7 for 60) |
| Red Sox runs scored / allowed | 2 / 18 |
| Runs in the Yankees’ sixth inning | 6 |
| Extra-inning games in the round | 2 (both Phillies-Braves) |
| Division series start | Saturday 3 October |
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Sources: Series results, starters and innings per MLB.com; game detail per the Associated Press. Tables calculated from the scorelines.
Shirt demand index: after Game 2
Built from our own order flow and range depth the morning after Game 2.
Yankees and White Sox. Both are into the division series, and both did it without a third game — two markets that buy the week a round is won.
Braves, Phillies, Padres and Cubs. Four clubs whose seasons now depend on one afternoon or one night, which is when playoff shirt demand peaks rather than falls.
Red Sox and Astros. Both are out, and both will still be on the board in October because the range does not turn over with the bracket. If you support either, the value is in the clearance end.
Playoff shirts
All eight clubs from the wild card round, in fan and player editions. Printed names add a few days.
Atlanta Braves Home Custom Shirt in White
Bryce Harper Philadelphia Phillies Road Shirt…
Aaron Judge New York Yankees Road Shirt - Gray
Houston Astros Home Custom Shirt White
Chicago White Sox Home Team Shirt - White
Pete Crow-Armstrong Chicago Cubs Home Shirt…
Fernando Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres Alternate…
Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox 2025 City Conn…
Our verdict
Two series ended the way the seeds suggested and one did not. Chicago won both games on the road as the No. 6 seed, New York won both at home as the No. 4, and neither needed a third game — which is what a best-of-three rewards. It is worth noting that Boston, who finished the regular season 87-75, scored twice in two games. Our own picks are 1-for-1 with two still live, and the one that is already wrong — Houston — went out without ever leading a game in the series.
Which wild card series have finished?
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Shirts for October
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